1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a slider zipper assembly with a shroud that has high pressure pasteurization protection attached to the inside thereof. The present invention further pertains to a method for application of the zipper assembly to the film to form a reclosable package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High pressure pasteurization (HPP) of food-containing packages is accomplished by placing the package in a chamber that is typically raised to 85,000 psi for a predetermined time period. Typical reclosable food packaging with “press to close” zippers will survive high pressure pasteurization. However, packages containing slider zipper assemblies have proven to be problematic. The zippers are typically enclosed in the packaging by the top portion of the packaging film, known as the shroud. During the high pressure pasteurization process, the extreme pressure pushes the shroud film onto the slider with such force as to punch holes in the film, rendering the package useless.
Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/020,607 entitled “Sleeve Cover for Slider”, filed on Dec. 23, 2004, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a semi-soft sleeve cover to shield the slider during high pressure pasteurization. Likewise, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/103,751 entitled “Reclosable Package with Slider Zipper Shielded for High Pressure Pasteurization”, filed on Apr. 12, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a shrouded reclosable bag wherein the slider shield is secured to the tear-away header so that the slider shield and the tear-away header are removed as a single piece. While these solutions are effective for their intended purpose, further improvements are desired with respect to the automated manufacture of these reclosable packages, particularly in combination with form fill and seal methods.